A place to hang your hat, and bridles

DEPENDING on how committed their children are to the high-priced pursuit of show horses, the biggest expense for parents can be the equestrian property that goes with it.

Because proximity to show venues is a paramount selling point, the most notable water feature of such expensive properties can be a horse trough. Wellington, Florida, for example, has no ocean frontage or mountains, but Bill Gates owns a multi-million-dollar home with a barn in its Mallet Hill section near the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) show grounds, according to Marysue Jacobs, owner of Destiny Properties International. Georgina Bloomberg has a place in Mallet Hill, too.

Bruce Springsteen and his family own a home in the nearby Equestrian Club Estates neighbourhood. The entertainers Steve Harvey and Jerry Seinfeld, whose daughters compete, are also local homeowners.